Method for conditioning tobacco



March 28, 1939.

Filed June 18, 1935 .3 Sheets-Shea?l @S @d A Smm .NJW m k\. -n Wi moon.

March'28, 1939. R. D. ToUToN `2,151,947

METHOD FOR CONDITIONING TOBACCO Filed June 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Shave# 2March28, 1939. R. D. TouToN METHOD FOR CONDITIONING TOBACCO Filed June18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 28, 1939 rMETHOD FOB.CONDITIONING TOBACCO Rush D. Tonton, Cynwyd, Pa., assignor to WurtonMachine Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplieation June 1s, 1935, serial No. 27,174

13 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to a method for conditioning tobacco.

More particularly, in accordance with this linvention a method isprovided whereby tobacco will be conditioned for any desired purpose.Thus,

for example, tobacco may be conditioned by moistening or drying toadjust its moisture for fermentation, by moistening to prepare it forsorting, packing, for use in the manufacture of cigars, etc. Inparticular, the method in accordance with this invention Will be foundhighly economical and efficient for the preparation of tobacco forfermentation. x

The method in accordance with this invention will, from the broadstandpoint, involve subjecting tobacco in bunches or hands to a gas, asair, conditioned with respect to the nature of the treatment of thetobacco, as moistening or drying. The gas, as air, will be generallycirculated with respect to the tobacco and/or forcefully directed intothe hands or bunches for the purpose of opening or spreading the leaves,and, at the same time, the hands or bunches will be subjected tomovement through a circuitous path. Z5 From the broad standpoint theapparatus for carrying out the method in accordance with this inventionbut not herein claimed will comprise a chamber in which travels aconveyor arranged with substantially vertical reaches and adapted tosupport bunches or hands of tobacco. Within the chamber will be arrangeda system of ducts provided with outlets arranged with respect to theconveyor for the delivery to the chamber of conditioned gas in a mannerto promote general moisture content will be provided and will be soarranged as to effect recirculation of air from the chamber through thesystem of ducts.

The more specific details of the method according to this invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of apparatus andits mode of operation in carrying out the method -with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a form of apparatus forcarrying out the method of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the apparatus shown inFigure l.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detached, descriptive, cross-seccirculation with respectto the tobacco and for the tional view of the apparatus shown inFigure 1. Referring to the several figures a indicates a chamber, whichmay be of any suitable dimensions, depending upon the amount of tobaccoto be treated, and which is desirably insulated. The 5 chamber isprovided with suitably placed doors for the introduction and removal oftobacco. The chamber is also provided with openings i, con-- trolled bydampers a, for the admission and discharge of air from the chamber. 10

Within the chamber a is positioned an endless conveyor b of any desiredtype and which may comprise a pair of endless chains c, c from which aresupported at spaced intervals cross-members or bars d, d. Means w, wadapted to secure hands of tobacco fr, :r are secured at spacedintervals to the cross bars d, d. The means may, for example, comprisebands of rubber secured at their ends to the cross bars. A netting l0may, if desired, be carried by the cross bars d, d. 20

The chains c, c pass over a series of relatively large sprockets e, esecured to shafts f, f journaled in a frame g and positioned in line inthe upper portion of the chamber; and also over a series of relativelysmall sprockets h, h secured to shafts 25 f', f' journaled in the frameg and positioned in line in the lower portion of the chamber and instaggered relation with the sprockets e, e; and finally over sprocketsk, k secured to shafts journaled in the frame g and positioned above and30 beyond the ends of the series of sprockets e, e..

The conveyor will be driven through a sprocket I2 on one of the shafts fby any suitable connection with any suitable prime mover, as through achain or belt from an electric motor, the prime 35 mover being desirablypositioned without the chamber.

By virtue of the arrangement of the several sprockets e, h and 7c, theconveyor will have a number of pairs of substantially vertical reaches l40 in its travel from one end to the other of the series of sprockets eand h, which in pairs will be relatively close together, the pairs beingrelatively widely separated; and a horizontal overhead return reach o.The conveyor may be reversed over 45 the arrangement shown in thedrawings, i. e. the horizontal reach may run below the vertical reachesinstead of above, with reversal of the relative positions of the largeand small sprockets, the tobacco passing over the small sprocketsinstead of beneath them.

Within the chamber a adjacent one end thereof is positioned a gas or airconditionnig apparatus comprising a casing n provided with inletopenings and containing a fan positioned adjacent the through ahumidifier, which may comprise a water spray or sprays supplied by apump p positioned outside the chamber, and over a heating element q,which may be an electrical unit or a steam coil supplied with steam froma boiler 1' positioned outside of the chamber. The' gas or air from theconditioning apparatus is delivered under the influence of the fan intoa main duct s, which extends longitudinally in the upper part of thechamber along one side thereof.

'I'he humidifier may, for Various uses of the apparatus, as in themoistening of tobacco, operate in effect as a cooler, dehumidiiier andhumidifier and for such operation will be supplied with cold Water at atemperature such as to effect desired cooling, dehumidification andhumidiiication for the provision of gas or air having desired Wet anddry bulb temperatures for delivery to the duct s. Cooling may beeffected byadmission of cold air to the humidifier, or by the provisionof a cool surface Within the chamber a.

From the duct s, a series of vertical ducts t. t lead downwardly at oneside of the chamber to the bottom thereof on lines between the pairs ofvertical reaches l of the conveyor and terminate in lateral outletopenings u, u, Figure 2, from which conditioned gas is dischargedtransversely of the chamber between the pairs of vertical reaches Z ofthe conveyor for the provision of general circulation of' air in thechamber, The air issuing from outlet openings u, u will rotate in thechamber or travel in a circulatory path so that the tobacco will besurrounded by a sheath of conditioned gas. If desired, the ducts t, tmay extend transversely along the bottom of the chamber between thepairs of vertical reaches l and discharge air through orifices u spacedin line with the tobacco hand holding means w, w on bars d, d of theconveyor.

From the series of ducts t, t a series of horizontal ducts v, n extendtransversely of the chamber beneath the sprockets e, e on lines betweenthe pairs of vertical reaches l. Upwardly extending nozzles y, y, spacedin alignment with the tobacco hand holding means w, w on cross bars d, dof the conveyor lead from the top of the ducts and are adapted to directforceful jets of conditioned gas into hands of tobacco carried by theconveyor as the conveyor passes over the sprockets e, e.

A second series of horizontal ducts z, z leading from the main ductsextend transversely of the chamber between pairs of the sprockets e, eand adjacent the top thereof. The ducts z, a are provided with laternozzles 2, 2 spaced in alignment with the tobacco hand holding means w,w on cross bars d, d of the conveyor and adapted to direct conditionedgas at an angle with respect to the butts of hands of tobacco carried bythe carrier and to promote local circulation in the upper portion of thechamber. Suitably valved pipes 3, 3, terminating in spray nozzles andconnected to a suitable source of water are let into the ducts a, a forthe Supply of additional moisture to air passing therethrough.

A series of horizontal ducts 4, 4 arranged in vertical alignment andleading from the main duct s, extend transversely of the chamber andadjacent to the sprockets lc at the rear of the chamber over which theconveyor passes into the horizontal return reach o. The ducts 4, 4 areprovided With nozzles 5, 5 spaced in alignment with the tobacco handholding means w, w on the cross bars d, d of the conveyor and at anglesto the vertical such as to direct forceful jets of air into hands oftobacco carried by the conveyor as it passes over the sprockets Ic.

A horizontal duct 6 leading from the main duct s extends transverselyover the return reach o of the conveyor. The duct 6 is provided withdownwardly extending nozzles 1, 'l spaced in alignment with the holdingmeans w, w on the cross bars d, d of the conveyor and are adapted forthe direction of forceful jets of air into hands of tobacco carried bythe conveyor. A suitably valved pipe 8 provided with a spray nozzle 9 atits end and connected with a supply of water is let into the duct 6 forthe supply of 'moisture to the conditioned gas passing therethrough.

The various ducts may be provided with dampers Il, whereby the amount ofair passing into the various ducts may be controlled or entirely shutoi.

In the carrying out of the method in accordance with this invention withuse of the apparatus described above, the fan in the humidifyingapparatus will be started and air conditioned as required will bedelivered into the main duct and discharged into the chamber through thevarious ducts described. The conveyor will be putv in motion, in thedirection of the arrows, and charged with bundles or hands of tobacco byinserting the butt ends thereof beneath the rubber bands comprising theholding means w, w on bars d, d. The conveyor will be charged at thefront end, the hands or bunches being secured to the bars d, d as theyprogressively pass down the front or first vertical reach of theconveyor. The hands will be initially secured to the bars d, d withleaves pendant, as in the position shown in Figure 3.

If the tobacco to be treated is in the dry state in which it is receivedby the fabricator of, for example, cigars and is to be conditioned forfabrication, the hands or bunches will remain on -the conveyor, whichwill be driven slowly, for such considerable period as is necessary forthe addition to the tobacco of suflicient moisture to bring it to theproper condition and consequently will make a number of completecircuito on the conveyor, including passage over the horizontal returnreach thereof, or the conveyor being fully loaded with tobacco mayremain still vfor a period and set into motion. On the other hand, ifthe tobacco is to be treated to condition it for fermentation, as forsorting or packing, by adjustment of its moisture content, either bymoistening or drying, the amount of moisture necessary to be added ortaken from the tobacco will be relatively small and conditioning can beeffected in one passage of the tobacco at a slow conveyor speed throughthe vertical reaches of the conveyor. In such case the hands or bunchesmay be secured to the front or first vertical reach of the conveyor andremoved from an intermediate reach or from the rear or last verticalreach of the conveyor.

In the travel of the conveyor through the pairs of vertical reaches lthe leaves of the bunches or hands of tobacco will be, as it were,shingled with inversion of the hands by swinging through an arc of inthe passage of the conveyor about the sprockets h and e.

As the hands move downwardly and upwardly in the vertical reaches, thetobacco in a quiescent state will be subjected to conditioned air ingeneral rotary circulation in the chamber by virtue of the air deliveredinto the chambers from the ducts t, t, through outlets u. Conditionedair is delivered through outlets u, u with force so that it travelsacross the chamber, upwardly, back and down, as shown by the arrows 20,Figure 3, and surrounds the tobacco on the conveyor with a sheath ofair. As the conveyor passes around the sprockets e and h and the handsare passed through an arc of 180, and thus inverted, they will be ineiect manipula d and opened up with separation of the leaves. Suchopening up will j occur immediately where, as charged on the conveyor,the tobacco is substantialy moist and the leaves free. Where the tobaccoas charged on the conveyor is dry and the leaves of the hands areadhered, the opening of the hands will occur beginning generally'withthe outer leaves as the leaves absorb more or less moisture.

In'the movement of the hands through a conditioned atmosphere in ashingled relationship,

that is to say, one hand resting in part upon another and having anotherresting in part upon it, humid air which has entered the hands when theyare separated, is, as it were, entrapped and an opportunity is given forthe leaves to absorb the moisture therefrom substantially uniformly.Even where the hands are not subjected to periodic lseparation betweenshingled relationship benefit is obtained from shingled relationship,inasmuch as the leaves of the hands are kept in contact as they becomemoistened with the result that the moisture tends to become more rapidlyand more u'niformly transmitted from the inner to the outer leaves ofthe hands.

The periodic iiexing of the bunches or hands by the passage of theconveyor about the sprockets e and h and resulting in opening up of thehands enables the circulation of humidified air within the hands to theend that the conditioning of all the leaves vof the hands is uniform.

In the passage of the conveyor around the sprockets c, conditioned airin forceful jets from the nozzles y, y on ducts v, v passes directlyinto the hands as they are inverted'by swinging. The discharge ends ofthe nozzles will be adjacent to the tips of the leaves of the hands asthe hands pass the nozzles. Desirably the nozzles will discharge within,for example, 2 to 18 inches, preferably about 9 inches, from the tips ofthe leaves. rlhe jets of air from nozzles y, y not only penetrate intothe hands as they are opened in their swinging movement, but as tomanipulate the leaves as the hands pass to and from the vertical, thusinsuringfull opening of the hands, penetration of the air and uniformconditioning. The movement of the tobacco on the conveyor and the jetsfrom nozzles y, y, with reference to the generally circulated air causethe formation of cddying currents, as shown by the arrows 2l, Figure 4,which penetrate into the hands and between the leaves thereof. Inducedcirculation .is set adjacent the discharges of the various nozzles andoutlet u as shown by arrows 22.

Where the ducts t, t are extended transversely of the chambers andprovided with nozzles u', u' extending toward the conveyor, the leavesof the hands are manipulated by the jets of air issuing from nozzles u',u and the jets penetrate the hands as they swing as in the treatment ofthe hands as they swing in the passage of the conveyor around thesprockets e.

Again, as the conveyor passes around the sprockets e the butt ends ofthe hands or bunches are subjected to the local circulation ofconditioned air created by thedischarge of air from the ducts z throughthe nozzles 2,'which air may, from the addition of water into the ductsthrough pipes z carry water in a finely divided form, which will bedeposited on and absorbed by the butts or stems, which normally willhave a greater capacity for moisture than the leaves.

As has been indicated, if the tobacco to be conditioned either by dryingor moistening requires the addition or removal of only a relativelysmall amount of moisture and the bunches are loose and open when appliedto the conveyor, the conveyor can be operated at a speed with respect tothe combined length of the vertical reaohes such that the desireconditioning can be effected in one passage of the vertical reaches,since due to the manipulation of the leaves by the forceful air jets andthe penetration thereof into the hands, the'conditioning will proceedrelatively rapidly and with uniformity.

Where the conditioning of the tobacco requires that it remain on theconveyor for a plurality of circuits, the bunches or vhands will besubjected to forceful jets of conditioned air delivered from ducts 4,through nozzles 5 as the conveyor traveling upwardly in the rear or lastvertical reach approaches and vpasses around sprockets k by which it isled into the horizontal return reach o.

The jets of conditioned air issuing from nozzles 5 will manipulate theleaves and when they are suiiciently moist to be pliable will open up ordivide the leaves of the hands and cause them to lie in opened positionas the conveyor enters the horizontal return reach o, as shown, forexample, in Figure 4.

As the conveyor travels through the horizontal reach o, conditioned airfrom duct 6, which may contain water in nely divided state, admitted tothe duct from pipe 8, is directed into the open hands through nozzles 1,and the butts of the hands are subjected to the local circulation set upby the discharge of conditioned air, which" may contain more moisturedue to the admission of water into ducts z through nozzles 2.

As will be appreciated, the conditioned air discharged through the ductsystem for general circulation and manipulation and penetration of thebunches or hands is recirculated with adjustment of its condition bypassage through the humidifying apparatus, which, dependent upon thenature of the treatment to be given to the tobacco, will act to cool orheat, humidiiy'or dehumidify the air to the temperature andrelativehumidity suitable to the particular treatment. If desired, the dischargeof air and admission of fresh air into chamber a, by manipulation ofdampers 7' controlling openings z', may be utilized in connection withthe control of conditions in the chamber a. Likewise, any otherarrangement for the control of temperature and relative humidity inchamber a may be utilized.

In the conditioning of tobacco by the method described above, in variouscases such, for example, as where tobacco is to be moistened, the airintroduced to the tobacco, through jets y, 5 and 2 will desirably becolder than the air introduced into the chamber for general circulation,to the end that the heat of absorption of moisture `by the tobacco andwhich will tend to heat the air in general circulation may be reduced bythe direct application of cool air to the tobacco. The air introducedthrough jets y, 5 and 2 may be rendered cool in comparison with the airin the duct system generally by the admission to the ducts from whichthe jets discharge oli cool air. as by sprays, as shown in connectionwith .the ducts z, or by the use of a cooling device in the ductsvariously. Again. when drying tobacco, airv discharged from the jets maybe warmer than the air in general circulation in the chamber. Warmer airmay be provided by the admission of warm water into the ducts, asthrough sprays, or by the use of a heating device, or of steam in theducts variously. Likewise, as has been indicated, gas introduced throughthe jets may have a higher or lower moisture content than that ingeneral circulation, the moisture content being controlled through theuse of water jets or suitable heating or cooling devices or steam. Thus,it will be observed that the tobacco at various points may be subjectedto gas conditioned differently, as to temperature and/or humidity fromthat in general circulation.

Where dry tobacco is to be moistened, it will in many cases be desirableto subject the tobacco on the conveyor to the conditioned gas `in`general circulation before starting the conveyor, so that it will bepartially molstened prior toits manipulation resultant from movement ofthe conveyor;

and again dry tobacco may desirably be preliminarily treated with theconveyor ln motion, but with all or more or fewer of the jets, as, forexample, those adjacent the front end of the conveyor, shut ofi.

As will be appreciated, numerous and various modifications in detail maybe made in the apparatus and in the modus operandi above describedwithout departing from the scope of this invention.

As will be appreciated, the conditioning of the gas for delivery tochamber a will be automatically controlled by any suitable deviceresponsive to the condition of the gas in the chamber and capable ofmanipulating the various heating, coollng and humidifying device.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. 'Ihe method oi.' conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting handsof tobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned atmospherein a chamber, while moving the tobacco alternately in a path at an angleto the horizontal with the hands in a shingled relationship and in anarcuate path in which the hands are separated.

2. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber, while moving the tobacco alternately in a substantiallyvertical path with the hands in a shingled relationship and in anarcuate path in which the hands are separated.

3. 'I'he method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting handsof tobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber, while moving the tobacco alternately in a substantiallyvertical path with the hands in a shingled relationship and in anarcuate path in which the hands are separated and causing otherconditioned gas to penetrate into the hands at a point in the movementof the tobacco in an arcuate path when the hands are separated.

4. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber, while moving the tobacco through a substantially vertical pathwith the hands in a shingled relationship, in an arcuate path in whichthe hands are separated, and a reverse substantially vertical path withthe hands in a reversed shingled relationship.

5. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber while moving the tobacco alternately in a path at an angle tothe horizontal with the hands in a shingled relationship and in anarcuate path in which the hands are separated, causing conditioned gasto circulate generally about the moving tobacco and directing forcefuljets of conditioned gas into the hand respectively when separated in themovement of the tobacco in an arcuate path.

6. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber while moving the tobacco alternately in various paths at anangle to the horizontal with the hands in a shingled relationship and inan arcuate path in which the hands are separated, causing conditionedgas to circulate generally about the moving tobacco and directingforceful jets of conditioned gas into the hands from adjacent the tipsof the leaves and at the butt ends thereof in the movement of thetobacco in an arcuate path when the hands are separated,

7. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber While moving the tobacco alternately in a path at an angle tothe horizontal with the hands in a shingled relationship and in anarcuate path in which the hands are separated, causing conditioned gasto circulate generally about the moving tobacco and directingconditioned gas carrying water in nely divided form-at the butt endsthereof in the movement of the tobacco in an arcuate path when the handsare separated.

8. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber While moving the hands of tobacco in a shingled relationship andperiodically inverting the hands to reverse the shingled relationship.

9. The method of conditioning tobacco which involves subjecting hands oftobacco secured at their butt ends only to a-conditioned gas in achamber while moving the hands of tobacco in a shingled relationship,periodically inverting the hands to reverse the shingled relationshipand directing forceful jets of conditioned gas into the hand and at thebutts thereof in the course of their inversion.

10. 'Ihe method of conditioning tobacco which involves subjecting handsof tobacco secured at their butt ends only to a conditioned gas in achamber while moving the hands of tobacco in a shingled relationship,periodically inverting the hands to reverse the shingled relationship,directing forceful jets of conditioned gas into the hands in the courseof their inversion and circulating conditioned gas about the hands inshingled relationship without disturbance of the hands.

11. The method of conditioning tobacco which includes subjectingpartially dry hands of tobacco initially to a moist atmosphere withoutmovement of the hands until the tobacco has absorbed a substantialamount of moisture, then moving the hands through a moist atmosphere andin their movement periodically passing them about a center whereby theare inverted.

12. The method of conditioning tobacco which Aincludes subjectingpartially dry hands of tobacco initially to a moist atmosphere withoutmovement of the hands until the tobacco has absorbed a substantialamount of moisture, then moving the hands through a moist atmosphere andperiodically inverting them, and then while continuing the movement andperiodic inversion of the hands periodically forcing moist jets ofconditioned air into the hands.

13. The method of conditioning tobao which includes moving hands `oftobacco in a chamber alternately in a path at an angle to the horizontalwith the hands in ashingled relationship and in an arcuate path in whichthe hands are separated, while maintaining a circulation of conditionedgas generally within the chamber and subjecting the tobacco to forcefuljets of conditioned gas having a different condition from that initiallypossessed' by the conditioned gas in general circulation while the handsare separated in traveling through the arcuate path.

RsH D. Too'roN.

